Method of and apparatus for forming coils



June 17, 1941. PATTON METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING COILS FiledNov. 28, 1959 INVENTOP E. P. PATTON A TTORNEV Patented June 17, 1941-UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING COILSApplication November 28, 1939, 'Serial No. 306,459

20 Claims.

This invention relates to a method 01' and apparatus for forming coils,and more particularly to a method of and-apparatus for forming coils ofthe cross wound type with intermediatelooped taps.

In forming certain cross wound coils the relationship of the transversemotion of the distributor, used in laying the turns, to the rotary speedof the spindle, on which the coils are wound, is usually accuratelycontrolled to maintain pattern symmetry necessary to stack the windings.By so forming the coils the layers of the windings are interlaced andthe coils are thus self supporting. However, anything which disturbsthis symmetry may cause the windings to collapse and for this reasoncare must be taken in forming intermediate looped taps.

Objects of the invention are to provide a simple, efficient andpractical method of forming coils with intermediate looped taps and anapparatus by means of which the method may be practised.

With these and other objects in view, one embodiment of the inventioncomprises a method of forming coils including the steps of winding adesired number of turns of wire to form a portion of a coil, forming aloop in the wire with a leg portion of the loop extending in thedirection of the winding from the point of winding, securing the loopagainst displacement, forming another loop with one leg portion thereofextending in the direction 01 winding to the point of winding, securingthis loop against displacement, and continuing the winding of the wireuntil the coil is completed.

Another embodiment of the invention comprises an apparatus by the aid ofwhich the method may be practised, the apparatus including a spindleremovably mounted for rotation to removably receive tubular elements,upon which coils may be wound, held for rotation with the spindle byspacing members, the latter having radially projecting pins about whichlooped taps may be wound at desired intervals during winding of thecoils.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdetailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a fragmentary froi." elevational view of theapparatus, portions thereof being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are fragmentary perspective views illustratingdifierent steps in the method of forming a looped tap.

The apparatus consists mainly of a spindle, indicated generally at I0,having an end portion removably connected, as at l2, to a rotary chuckor head stock IS. The chuck l3 may be the part of any suitable mechanism(not shown) for rotating the spindle at a predetermined speed in aclockwise direction (Fig. 2), the machine also including a chuck or tailstock H for removably receiving the other end of the spindle. The endportion H is apertured, at l5, to receive a central portion l6 of thespindle, these portions being fixed together by the aid of suitablemeans, such as a pin H. A set of radially projecting pins 20 is mountedadjacent the inner end of the end portion l| about which wires may betwisted in forming taps in coils, as will hereinafter be described. Thecoils are'wound upon tubes 2|, formed of any suitable insulatingmaterial, and removably disposed upon the central portion I6 of thespindle. Each tube has a notch 22 formed at each end thereof forreceiving retaining lips to hold the tubes for rotation with thespindle. To accomplish this purpose a lip 23 is formed on the endportion H.

Spacing members 25 are removably disposed upon the central portion l6 ofthe spindle and are provided with lips 28 on opposite sides thereofreceivable in the notches 22 of the tubes'to hold the latter forrotation with the spindle. It will be noted, by viewing Fig. 2, that thecentral portion It of the spindle has fiat sides. Pins 29, with flatinner ends, are rigidly mounted in the spacing members and positioned toengage one of the fiat surfaces of the central portion l6 of the spindleto hold their respective spacing members against rotation relative tothe spindle and align the lips thereof for registration with the notches22 of the tubes 2|. The spacing members are each further provided withradially extending pins 30 disposed adjacent each end thereof andextending in the same directions as the pins 20 of the end portion II.

The end of the spindle opposite the end portion I I has a removable endportion 3| apertured, for a portion of its length, to receive theadjacent end of the central portion I 6 and having its outer end conicalin shape for removable engagement with the chuck M. A pin 32, fixedlycarried by the end portion 3|, ls receivable in a longitudinallyextending-slot 33 in the-central portion IE to secure the end portion 3|against rotation relative to the central portion It. The end portion IIis also provided with a retaining lip 35 and radially extending pins 40positioned simiiarly to the pins 20 and 30.

A stationary frame or support 42 extends parallel with the spindle andfor the full length thereof, only a fragmentary portion of this framebeing shown in the drawing. A reciprocating member 43 slidable in agroove 44 in the frame 42 is operatively connected by suitable means(not shown) to the mechanism for rotating the chuck it. Such means andmechanism are not believed of sumcient importance to show in detail inthe drawing and describe in the specification, as any conventional meansmay be employed to drive the spindle and the reciprocating member indesired sequence.

A distributor, indicated generally at 46, is mounted on thereciprocating member 43 adjacent each coil forming section of thespindle, that is, adjacent each tube 2|. Only one distributor is shownin the drawing, this being sufilcient, it is believed, to illustrate theinvention. The distributor 45 includes a sheave 50 for directing strandmaterial, such as wire 5|, to be wound into a coil on the adjacent tube2|, the wire passing beneath a resiliently supported button 52. Thesheave 50 is freely rotatable on a shaft 53, the latter being supportedby a bracket 54 to allow the sheave to move laterally. as the path ofthe wire varies during its removal from a supply reel (not shown).

In the present illustration the relative speed of rotation of thespindle and reciprocatory movement of the distributor is such that across wound coil i s formed. one having a pattern of definite designformed by windings transversing the coil forming area in a few turns,for example, two, each turn lying against a previous turn and forming ashoulder leading around the coil forming portion from end to endadjacent to which a subsequent turn will be laid.

To condition the apparatus for operation and for carrying out the methodthe spindle Ill is assembled. By this it is meant that the tubes 2| aredisposed on the central portion l6, and interlocked with the lip of thespacing member 25, interposed therebetween, and the end portions H andII. 'The assembled unit'or spindle is then disposed in place between thechucks l3 and 14.

'The wires to be wound into coils on the various tubes are fed beneaththeir respective sheaves 50, their respective buttons 52, and beneath orpartially around their respective tubes, where the ends of the wires aresecured to a selected pin, for example, one of the pins 20 of the endportion H, one of the pins 30 of an adjacent spacing member 25 and/orone of the pins 40 of the end portion 3|. coil is shown being formed andit should be understood that other coils may be formed simultaneously onthe remaining tubes 2 I.

The apparatus is now in condition for operation and the spindle isrotated in a clockwise direction (Fig. 2) and through the same mechanism(not shown) the distributor 48 is set in motion to distribute the turnson the coil forming portionsof the tube in such a manner that the wirein a few numbers of turns will pass from end to end of the coil in adefinite helical path, causing an interlacing of the turns of winding tobuild up a coil structure of a design which will be self-supporting,providing the design is maintained, that is, providing the turnscontinue to be laid one adjacent the other, crossing In the presentembodiment only one previous turns and providing shoulders against whichsubsequent turns are laid. When a desired portion of the coil has beenformed the operation oi the apparatus may be stopped where it is desiredto form taps for the coils.

In forming taps for the coil attention is first directed to Figs. 2 and3. The wire 5| is removed from the sheave 50 and a sumcient quantity ofthe wire is withdrawn from the supply spool (not shown) to form a loopof sufficient length to pass beneath the right end of the tube 2 I, onwhich the coil is being formed, and twisted about the pin 40 at the rearof the end portion (Fig. 3). In passing. the loop beneath the end of thetube the leg of the loop coming from the button 52 is laid adjacent theshoulder formed by a previous turn of the wire and in the same path orposition it would have been laid had the winding of the coil beencontinued. This leg of the loop, therefore, continues in the directionof the distributed turns until it reaches the end of the coil, at whichpoint the wire passes from the coil and is secured to the desired pin40. The purpose of positioning the pins 20, 30 and 40 about theirrespective supports, namely the end portions and spacing members, is toenable the operator to lay the wire on the coil or partially formed coilin the distributed path adjacent a previous turn of the wire and securethe wire against displacement during further winding of the coil withoutdisturbing the pattern or formation of the coil, The formation of thetap has thus far been only partially com.-

pleted. It is necessary to return the wire from the supply spool to thebutton 52 so that the coil may be completed and the design maintainedand to eliminate the possibility of the coil collapsing. Additional wireis then drawn from the supply to form another loop, as illustrated inFig. 4, and the wire leading from the supply is passed beneath thebutton 52 and laid in the correct position for the button to continuethe formation of the coil. The leg of the loop extending downwardly fromthe button 52, and back of the coil thus far completed, is laid adjacenta shoulder formed by a previous turn of the'wire and passed around thecoil'in the definite path adjacent the shoulder, crossing the portion ofthe wire forming the first loop at a point indicated at (Fig. 5) andcontinuing in the path adjacentthe shoulder until the shoulder meets theadjacent end of the coil. The loop is continued in the same generalspiral direction to the most convenient pin 40 in the path thereof,where the loop is placed over the selected pin. The wire is then drawnsufllciently tight, under approximately the same tension that the wireis under when being distributed, so that the leg of the loop lying onthe coil thus formed will lay undisturbed thereon, the slack being takenup by rotating the supply spool (not shown). The tap has beencompletedand the coil'may-be completed or continueduntil it is desirable to formanother tap by again placing the spindle in rotation and causing thewire to be distributed to continue the laying of the turns in definitepaths.

Theiormation of the coil is substantially the same throughout and itshould be understood that more than one tap can be formed upon either orboth sides of the coil in substantially the same manner as thepreviously described tap was formed. The abutting shoulders of previouscontern of the coil and without interrupting or varying subsequent turnswhich might cause the coil to collapse. The taps are, therefore, formedwithout varying any portion of the structure of the coil, that is,without causing any of the turns or portions of turns to extend otherthan in the positions in which they would have been laid by thedistributor had'the taps not been formed.

The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed is illustrative onlyand may be widely modified and departed from in many ways withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as pointed out inand limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is: I

1. A method of forming coils comprising winding a strand in a definitehelical path travelling back and forth between spaced positions to forma coil with its ends disposed at the said positiors stopping the windingof the strand prior to tl completion of the coil, removing a portion ofthe strand from one end of the partially completed coil in the directionof the helical path to form taps, returning the strand to the partiallyformed coil in the direction of the helical path, and completing thewinding of the coil.

2. A method of forming coils comprising winding a wire on a support in adefinite helical path travelling back and forth between spaced positionson the support to form a coil with its ends disposed at the saidpositions, stopping the winding of the wire prior to the completion ofthe coil, removing a portion of the wire from one end of the partiallycompleted soil in the. direction of the helical path to form taps,securing the portion of the wire against displacement during completionof the coil, returning the wire to the partially formed coil in thedirection of the.

helical path, and completing the winding of the coil.

3. A method of forming coils comprising winding a wire on a support in adefinite helical path travelling back and forth between spaced positionson the support to form a coil with its ends disposed at the saidpositions, stopping the winding of the wire prior to the completion ofthe coil,'removing a portion of the wire from one end of the partiallycompleted coil in the direction of the helical path to form taps,returning an-' other portion of the wire to the partially formed coil inthe direction of the helical path and across the first mentionedportion, and completing the winding of the coil.

4. A method of forming coils comprising winding a wire on a support in adefinite helical path travelling back and forth between spaced positionson the support to form a coil with its ends disposed at the saidpositions, stopping the winding of the wire prior to the completion ofthe coil, forming a loop in the wire with one leg of the loop extendingfrom the partially completed coil in the direction ofthe helical path,securing the loop against displacement, and completing the winding ofthe coil.

5. A method of forming coils comprising winding a wire on a support in adefinite helical path travelling back and forth between spaced positionson the support to form a coil with its ends disposed at the saidpositions, stopping the winding of the wire prior to the completion ofthe coil, forming a loop in the wire with one leg of the loop extendingfrom the partially completed coil in the direction of the helical path,securing the loop against displacement, forming another loop in the wirewith one leg thereof returning to the partially completed coil in thedirection of the helical path, and completing the winding of the coil.

6. Amethod of forming coils comprising winding a wire on a support in adefinite helical path travelling back and forth between spaced positionson the support to form a coil with its ends disposed at thesaidpositions, stopping the winding of the wire prior to the completionof the coil, forming a loop in the wire with one leg of the loopextending from the partially completed coil in the direction of thehelical path, securing the loop against displacement, forming anotherloop in the wire with one leg thereof returning to the partiallycompleted coil in the direction of the helical path, securing the lastmentioned loop against displacement, and completing the winding of thecoil.

'7. A method of forming coils comprising winding a wire on a support ina definite helical path travelling back and forth between spacedpositions on the support to form a coil with its ends disposed at thesaid positions, stopping the winding of thewire prior to the completionof the coil, forming a loop in the wire with one leg of the loopextending from the partially completed coil in the direction of thehelical path, securing the loop against displacement, forming anotherloop in the wire with one leg thereof extending around the partiallyformed coil in the direction of the helical pathand across the leg ofthe first loop on the partially formed coil, and completing the windingof the coil.

8. A method of forming coils comprising winding a wire on a support in adefinite helical path travelling back and forth between spaced positionson the support to form a coil with its ends disposed at the saidpositions, stopping the winding of the wire prior to the completion ofthe coil, forming a loop in the wire with one leg of the loop extendingfrom the partially completed coil in the direction of the helical path,securing the loop against displacement, forming another loop in the wirewith one leg thereof extending around the partially formed coil in thedirection of the helical path and across the leg of the first loop onthe partially formed coil, securing the last mentioned loop againstdisplacement, and completing the winding of the coil.

9. A method of forming coils comprising winding a wire on a support in adefinite helical path travelling back and forth between spaced positionson the support to form a coil, stopping the winding of the wire,removing a portion of the wire from one end of the coil in the directionof the helical path to form taps, and returning the wire to the coil inthe direction of the helical path.

10. A method of forming coils comprising winding a strand in a definitehelical path travelling back and forth between spaced positions to forma coil, stopping the winding of the strand, removing a portion ofv thestrand fromone end of the coil in the direction of the helical path toform taps, and returning another portion of the strand to the coil inthe direction of the helical path and across the first portion ofstrand.

11. A method of forming coils comprising winding a wire on a support ina definite helical path travelling back and forth between spacedpositions on the support to form a coil, stopping the winding of thewire, forming a loop in the wire with one leg of the loop extending fromthe coil in the direction of die helical path, and the other leg of theloop returning to the coil in the direcof winding to form taps, andreturning the wire to the coil in the direction of winding.

13. An apparatus for forming coils comprising a rotary support, means todistribute a strand in a helical path back and'forth on the support toform a coil, and means disposed adjacent the support to which the strandextending from the coil in the direction of the helical path may besecured to form a tap.

14. An apparatus for forming coils comprising a rotary support, means todistribute a wire in a helical path back and forth on the support toform a coil. and a projection disposed adjacent the support to which thewire extending from the coil in the direction of the helical path may besecured to form a tap.

15. An apparatus for forming coils comprising a rotary spindle, atubular support removably disposed on the spindle, means to distribute awire 'in a helical path back and forth on the support to form a coil,and means carried by the spindle to which the wire extending from thecoil in the direction of the helical path may be secured to form a tap.

16. An apparatus for forming coils comprising a rotary spindle, atubular support removably disposed on the spindle, means to distribute awire in a helical path back and forth on the support to form a coil, andan, element removably mounted on the spindle to hold the support againstdisplacement and having a projection to which the wire extending fromthe coil in the direction of the helical path may be secured to form atap.

17. An apparatus for forming coil-s comprising a rotary spindle, aplurality of tubular supports removably disposed on the spindle, meansto distribute a wire in a helical path back and forth on each of thesupports to form coils thereon, and elements disposed'at the ends of thesupports and having projections to which the wires extending from theircoils in the directions of their helical paths may be secured to formtaps.

18. An apparatus for forming coils comprising a rotary spindle, aplurality of tubular supports removably disposed on the spindle, meansto distribute a wire in a helical path back and forth on each of thesupports to form coils thereon, and elements removably disposed on thespindle at the ends of the supports to hold supports againstdisplacement and having projections to which wires extending from theircoils in the directions of their helical paths may be secured to formtaps.

19. An apparatus for forming coils comprising a rotary spindle, aplurality of tubular supports removably disposed on the spindle, meansto distribute a wire in a helical path back and forth on i each of thesupports to form coils thereon, and

' a rotary support, means to distribute a wire in a helical path backand forth on the support to form a coil, and an element disposedadjacent the support and having projections to one of which the wireextending from the coil in the direction of the helical path may besecured to form a tap and to another of which the wire extending back tothe coil in the direction of the helical path may be secured.

EDGAR P. PA'I'ION.

